Chapter 524: Launching a Counterattack (5k)
Dead...dead...
At this moment, the whole place was silent, with only Zhao Duan's voice floating in the air.
People stared blankly at the body lying on the ground, and the blood gradually spread on the ground.
"Ah." Someone screamed almost instinctively, but was immediately covered by the hands of the person next to him.
I dare not speak loudly, for fear of alarming the people in heaven!
The old man of the Lu family suddenly trembled, lowered his eyes, and clenched his hands on his knees under the table. Then he clenched them again...
The eldest son, the second son and other members of the Lu family who were extremely dissatisfied with their grandfather handing over half of the family property were silent at this moment, with a chill running down their spines.
They finally understood why their grandfather was so servile in front of Zhao Duan.
This person really kills people without mercy.
The boss of the rice business, who was a well-known figure in Linfeng Road, was killed so casually.
Judging from the way Sun Xiaozhun read out the charges, it seemed that he already knew about it.
This was a premeditated killing.
Kill the chicken to scare the monkey.
Everyone picked up this word in their mind.
"It seems no one has any more objections." Zhao Duan held the sword in his hand and waited for dozens of breaths. Seeing that no one answered, a satisfied smile reappeared on his face.
"Since that's the case, it's happily settled. This governor knows there aren't many people who would so blatantly violate the law, drive up prices, and profit from war.
I had originally planned to execute him later, but he was so audacious that he actually jumped out on his own initiative. I had no choice but to send him to death early. "Does the old man mind that I've soiled the floor of the Lu Mansion?"
Old Master Lu stood up and bowed:
"The governor has eliminated this evil for the people, and I am so pleased with him that I cannot even begin to express my admiration for him. Why would I mind?"
"Good!" Zhao Duan laughed, and the sharp sword in his hand returned to its sheath with a clang. "As expected of the best man in the city, you have great courage."
At this time, the frightened Qian Yuanwai of Datong Bank stood up tremblingly:
"I would like to follow the Lu family's example and donate half of my wealth. I also have many rare antiques at home. I will go back and send someone to present them to the governor."
He was scared and just wanted to leave this bloody place as soon as possible.
Zhao Duan said unhappily:
"What do you mean by filial piety? We are all working for the great cause of suppressing the rebellion. Besides, how can the guests disperse before the banquet is over?
How about this? Since you all brought your families or servants with you, why don't you just write a letter and send it back to your respective homes, telling them to handle the donation. We will continue eating and drinking so as not to waste this delicious food."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Xiaozhun gave a look, and the officers guarding the door immediately drew their swords and blocked the yard.
Everyone's heart sank and panic spread. They realized that King Zhao was holding them hostage because he was worried that they would play tricks.
What kind of donation is this? It's basically just paying money to buy someone's life.
But the situation was stronger than the people, and the body in the hall was still warm, so no one dared to raise any objections.
"Prefect Sun," Zhao Duan stood with his sword in hand and said to Sun Xiaozhun:
"I'll be leaving it to you to dispatch officers and soldiers and collect the donated money."
Sun Xiaozhun nodded with a complicated expression and walked out expressionlessly.
As a local prefect, he was a man of great courage. He understood that from today onwards, he, as the prefect, had become the enemy of all the gentry in the city.
In order to avoid trouble later, he had to take advantage of the opportunity when the army was suppressing the city and use this "fundraising" to abolish these gentry and then support a group of new gentry, so that he could sit firmly in his position.
Since there was no turning back, he also showed his iron-blooded side.
Zhao Shande, the grain supervisor in the hall, was called by the prefect. He stood up and was about to follow him out, but suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Zhao Duan hesitantly:
"This Kangzhuang Rice Shop... is also donating half?"
Zhao Duan said calmly:
"Since he has been beheaded according to the law, let's just confiscate his property."
Immediately, he put down his sword with a smile, walked to the main seat at the banquet table, sat down, asked the servants to carry the body away, and raised his glass with a smile:
"Don't be nervous, everyone. As long as you support the suppression of the rebellion, I believe you will not be someone who breaks the law."
The gentlemen gritted their teeth and raised their glasses, putting on forced smiles but feeling cold all over.
Old Master Lu drank it all in one gulp. When he put the cup down, he saw the red lanterns under the dark sky and thought:
The world has changed.
…
…
The lights in the government office and the "temporary command center" were brightly lit.
The generals led by Xue Shence were still discussing the battle plan and did not even have time to eat a bite.
"What happened?" Xue Shence was leaning over the sand table, but suddenly he straightened up and looked outside with a frown.
Shi Meng, Yuan Feng and others also heard the noise coming from outside. Someone pushed open the door, and in the dark night, there was a large group of soldiers lined up with torches.
Xue Shence's heart tightened, thinking something had happened. He walked a few steps outside and saw an official from the government office walking hurriedly. He raised his hand to stop him and ask him. The official bowed before explaining:
"Reporting to the Privy Councilor, this is the prefect's order to mobilize the city's garrison troops and confiscate military supplies, silver, and other items overnight."
Mo Chou also walked out of the house and asked in confusion, "Why is it so loud?"
After a short rest, she returned here.
The official smiled bitterly:
"I just received the news myself, so I don't know the details.
All we know is that Governor Zhao held a banquet at Lu's mansion in the city, summoning all the city's prominent gentry to attend, saying that it was to quell the rebellion and raise military supplies and funds...
The gentry enthusiastically raised funds, and every family donated at least half of their wealth, so more manpower was needed..."
Mo Chou, Xue Shence, Shi Meng, Yuan Feng and others were all stunned.
I suspect I heard it wrong.
Donate half of your wealth?
When did these local tyrants become so aware?
But they were not stupid. After a little thought, they realized that it must be Zhao Duan who put pressure on them and "robbed them by force."
"As expected of General Zhao, these local villains all had their own ulterior motives. I didn't expect General Zhao to bring them to justice without even waiting for a day after entering the city." A general applauded.
"That's really the governor's style." Shi Meng sighed:
"I had wanted to discuss military rations and supplies tomorrow, but now we don't have to worry about it for the time being."
Xue Shence also acquiesced. As the commander-in-chief, he was reluctant to interfere in local affairs in order to avoid suspicion.
Although Zhao Duan's move was too drastic, there was no reason for him not to support it as it could get sufficient military funds.
"Got it, get busy."
Mo Chou frowned slightly. Although she felt something was wrong, she was not surprised when she recalled Zhao Duan's style of arresting officials at will when he was in the capital.
It's something he can do.
"Now that logistics are secure, we can confidently implement the plan we discussed earlier." Yuan Feng said in a deep voice:
"Commander Zhao and Prefect Sun will work together to ensure logistics, while the Privy Councilor and I will fight and defeat the enemy. With a clear division of labor, we will surely be invincible."
During the conversation, everyone agreed that Zhao Duan's actions were to ensure logistics.
The core responsibility of defeating the enemy and killing the bandits fell on Xue Shence's shoulders.
No one could guess the real purpose of Zhao Duan's doing this.
"Okay, since that's the case, let's proceed as planned." Xue Shence nodded.
He turned around and looked back at the sand table, only to see that the imperial soldiers were divided into three teams, attacking from three directions respectively.
These are three tactical plans that will be implemented simultaneously in order to achieve a quick victory. Wei Xianzong's Death Battalion will be the last one to be implemented.
…
at the same time.
Under the command of Sun Xiaozheng, a large group of officers and soldiers were divided into teams, carrying carriages and rushing to various mansions and shops in the city.
Large amounts of grain and money were transported to the imperial treasury. At the same time, the rare items Zhao Duan needed were also loaded onto the cart and sent to the Lu Mansion.
After a thrilling banquet, Zhao Duan finally let these gentry go.
Even though the entire "donation" has not yet been completed, on the one hand, such a large-scale transfer of wealth cannot be completed in a short period of time.
Secondly, many transfers require these gentry to do it personally.
After all, Zhao Duan is not a devil, it is impossible for him to send people to rob people at will.
Everything must be done in accordance with the rules. Otherwise, what will become of the imperial court? What will become of Zhao?
"For the next two days, Magistrate Sun will have to be more vigilant to prevent these people from being dishonest, using tricks, and concealing their property."
In the Lu Mansion's villa, Zhao Duan stood with his hands behind his back, standing by the pond and spoke calmly.
Sun Xiaozhun stood behind him, the dark and thin prefect with a fierce look on his face:
"Don't worry, sir. I will definitely do a good job on this matter. Those rare items have been delivered to the outside of the Lu Mansion. But this is only the first batch. These great families have accumulated a lot of them over the past hundred years. Rare items related to cultivation are more valuable than gold."
"Very good, have someone send it in. I will be staying at the Lu Mansion these few days." Zhao Duan raised his hand and picked a water lotus from the pond, broke it into petals, and threw it into the water where the red lanterns were reflected.
Sun Xiaozhun did not ask about the use of these rare items. He knew that Zhao Duan was a cultivator in the mortal world, so he naturally thought that he was collecting rare items to strengthen himself.
He immediately turned around and went out to make arrangements.
After the people left, one of Zhao Duan's eyes suddenly turned silver, and the figure of a female sorceress in a wedding dress, invisible to ordinary people, appeared above the pond.
Pei Niannu hung barefoot on the water, looking at him coldly:
"What...are you...doing..."
"I've found a ton of items that can be used to smelt the Scarlet Flame Sacred Armor. Besides that, what else can I do to prepare?"
Zhao Duan asked calmly.
Pei Niannu was startled for a moment, as if surprised, and said:
"Black Turtle Seal... throw it into the water... absorb it..."
After a moment, the sorceress disappeared into the night. The Black Turtle Seal has a special ability, which is that it can absorb and store a large amount of water in the talisman.
According to her, if you want to make the clouds and rain, you can store up the Black Turtle Seal as much as possible, which can save a lot of mana.
Zhao Duan threw the torn petals into the pond, raised his right hand, the light distorted, and an ancient blue-black seal slowly emerged and rotated.
"Everything is arranged to avoid the worst possible situation. I hope I won't have to take action."
Murmuring softly, he threw the Black Turtle Seal into the pond. In an instant, a whirlpool appeared on the calm surface of the pond, like a black hole.
The pool water was quickly swallowed up, the water level dropped, exposing the mud and plant roots at the bottom of the pool. Zhao Duan activated the Black Turtle Seal and used his water-controlling ability to draw water from the underground river in the well connected to the bottom of the pool to replenish the water.
He raised his hand and a chair flew over from under the eaves.
Zhao Duan sat in the chair, looking at the bright moon in the sky, and gradually became distracted.
He decided to stay in the Lu Mansion for a few days, both to have a separate space to smelt the holy armor and to bind the Lu Mansion to himself tightly.
"Would such a powerful family put all their eggs in one basket? I'm afraid they've already been colluding with the rebels. But as long as I'm here, the Lu family can only sit at the table of the imperial court and can't make any waves."
…
…
No words were spoken that night.
The next day, Xue Shence began to mobilize troops on a small scale and launch exploratory attacks, both to paralyze the enemy and to give the soldiers of the Beijing camp a window of time to rest and prepare.
On that day, the imperial court engaged in a small-scale battle with the rebels. The imperial court had the upper hand, but did not launch a rash attack.
Sun Xiaozhun was very busy dealing with logistical issues.
The commander of the rebel side, "Juren General" Su Dan, was stationed in Ning'an County, transferring supplies in an orderly manner, making arrangements for burning the city, and continuously evacuating the main force.
The assassin Nie Yurong sat in the government office for a whole day but was unable to see Zhao Duan.
This day was almost "peaceful and uneventful".
However, everyone knows that this is just the prelude to the storm, and beneath the calm surface of the water lies a surging wave.
…
The third day.
At dawn, when the sky was darkest, the Beijing camp quietly set out, divided into three routes, and launched a large-scale counterattack according to Xue Shence's arrangement.
In the darkness, on a hill somewhere in the suburbs, Wei Xianzong, dressed in military uniform with a sharp blade hanging from his waist, glanced at the members of the Death Squad standing in rows in front of him.
Each soldier has a strong aura and is the elite selected from the Beijing camp. In order to move quickly, they only wear soft armor, have no mounts, and have no firearms in their hands, only swords.
In front of the soldiers and in front of Wei Xianzong, there was a whole large wooden barrel, which was now open, and on the table next to it were stacked wine bowls.
"Today, I will lead you, like a sharp knife, to sneak into the enemy camp and clear the way for the army in the rear. I will bravely die as I march alone into a dangerous place!"
Wei Xianzong's eyes were sharp, his voice was sonorous and infectious:
"Drink this wine and set out immediately. I have no other promises, but I will lead the charge in this attack. If I retreat, you will kill me!"
As he spoke, he took the lead and filled a bowl with wine. The soldiers followed suit and said in a deep voice:
"I will never regret even if I die!"
The entire camp drank the cold wine at the same time and threw the wine bowls to the ground.
“Snap, snap, snap…”
Wei Xianzong drew his sword, turned around, and pointed at a town in the darkness ahead.
This is Wuhe Town, an important garrison town in front of Wenshui County and also a frontline outpost.
At this moment, the darkness before dawn gradually dissipated, and Wei Xianzong led the entire death battalion, like a ghost or a black river, quietly approaching the town.
Behind the low city wall outside Wuhe Town, rebels were on duty, and torches were burning in the darkness.
They were not rebels from Yunfu, but officers and soldiers from the Wenshui County Inspection Office. They surrendered after being captured by the rebels and became "puppet troops."
In the past two days, the morale of the "puppet army" has been extremely low, and a sense of unease has been brewing privately.
Because they learned that with the arrival of reinforcements from the imperial court, Su Dan might not be able to hold on and would run away, and the objects that were transported here to ignite the city were evidence.
Of course, the plan to burn the city was only circulated within the military, and the people in the occupied areas knew nothing about it.
Suddenly, the black dogs lying behind the city wall pricked up their ears and barked wildly towards the outside of the city.
The rebels of the Inspection Office suddenly lost their sleepiness and immediately became chaotic.
Someone standing on a high watchtower vaguely saw someone approaching and tried to strike the gong, but was suddenly caught off guard by an arrow shot out from the darkness. The arrow pierced his heart and he fell powerlessly off the watchtower.
The rebels were shocked. Most of them were archers, but it was dark and they could not shoot arrows. They hurriedly rushed forward and saw that a group of enemies had climbed over the low "city wall".
"Enemy—" someone was about to shout, but was suddenly held down by his fellow patrol inspectors.
"Why are you shouting? Can a small outpost like ours hold them back? We might as well surrender."
The group of "puppet soldiers" had no intention of fighting, let alone the idea of fighting to the death. Instead, they tacitly squatted down with their heads in their hands, tied their hands, and revealed their former identities as inspectors.
Some people even directed their companions:
"Go and kill those dogs quickly, and don't disturb the brothers in the Beijing camp."
"Also, take down those bows and crossbows and send them to the adults in the Beijing camp. Be quick and efficient!"
This scene stunned the soldiers of the Death Squadron who had sneaked into the town.
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. They had even drunk farewell wine before the action and created a great atmosphere. However, the defense of Wuhe Town was terribly weak. Would it be okay to just surrender?
"Boss, are you going to kill them or not?" a soldier asked the adjutant of the Death Squadron.
The latter said unhappily:
"Kill them all! Tie them up and wait for the team behind to take over. Hey, where's the guard leader?"
Wei Xianzong disappeared.
…
At this moment, in the best house in Wuhe Town, Chen Yong, the captain stationed there, was awakened by the barking of dogs.
He quickly put on his clothes and walked out of the room in his slippers.
As one of Su Dan's trusted subordinates, he was responsible for garrisoning the town.
However, since yesterday, the elite troops in the town began to evacuate, but he did not leave. One reason was to cover the retreat of the main force, and the other was to arrange the burning of the town.
“Knock, knock.”
There was a knock on the gate, and a hurried voice came in:
"Captain, there's something going on. It looks like scouts from the imperial court are approaching!"
What? Chen Yong was startled and walked out quickly, picking up his sword as he went, and asked, "What's the situation now?"
"It's okay for now, but the brothers are worried, so..."
"What a bunch of rabble!" Chen Yong yelled angrily. He pulled the bolt and pushed open the gate. He saw a confidant standing outside the door with trembling legs. Behind him, a faint smell of blood was floating in the air.
not good--
Chen Yong felt a sense of alarm in his heart, and he chopped towards the door with the sword in his hand without hesitation. The confidant screamed and fell to the ground, but he did not see the enemy.
"You killed the wrong person." A cold voice sounded from behind.
Chen Yong was horrified and was about to turn around, but he saw a long knife had pierced his heart.
Wei Xianzong drew his knife and frowned as he looked at Chen Yong, who was lying on the ground with a gurgling sound in his throat. He frowned:
"Has the main force already begun to withdraw? Leaving you behind is just a deception. Su Dan never intended to fight the imperial court; he only wanted to escape. Xue Shence and the others were deceived by Su Dan. They should have sent out the troops yesterday."
At this time, a group of soldiers from the Death Squad ran over from outside the courtyard. After seeing Wei Xianzong kill the commander of Wuhe Town with his own hands, they breathed a sigh of relief:
"Boss, the defense of this town is too lax. It's a bit too smooth. What should we do next?"
Wei Xianzong pondered for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and smiled strangely:
"Are you interested in doing something big?"
(End of this chapter)
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